Hong Kong Ballet names new artistic director, Septime Webre, Cuban-American who led Washington Ballet for 17 years
Septime Webre picked from 70 candidates to succeed Madeleine Onne, with ballet board impressed by his passion, energy and artistic vision; 55-year-old says he looks forward to growing the company’s impact locally and overseas
Septime Webre, former artistic director of The Washington Ballet in America’s capital, will succeed Madeleine Onne in July as artistic director of the Hong Kong Ballet, the company announced on Tuesday. The 55-year-old Cuban-American beat 70 applicants from the city and around the world for the position.
“We were most impressed by his artistic vision, international presence, choreographic prowess, leadership experience, as well as his great passion and energy during the search process,” said Daisy Ho Chiu-fung, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Ballet board of governors. “With the company’s vision and missions refocused in 2015, Hong Kong Ballet has taken an exciting new direction.
“With the solid artistic equity the company has established through the wonderful work by the previous artistic directors, the board concurred that Septime is the perfect candidate to open the next chapter of our very fine ballet company.”
Webre was artistic director of the Washington Ballet between 1999 and 2016, and prior to that performed the same role for six years at the American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey. The Washington Post last year said his “high energy, charisma and large-scale ballet making spurred [the Washington Ballet] to unprecedented financial and artistic growth”.
In his time at the Washington Ballet, Webre created many works for the company, including Carmen (2001), Cinderella (2003), State of Wonder (2006) and, more recently, Alice (in Wonderland) (2012).
